Piano attachment.



PATENTBD DEC. 19, 1905.

S D. BEUM.

PIANO ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6,1905.

Inventor,

Witnsses Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIANO ATTACHIVI ENT- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed May 6, 1905. Serial No. 259,235.

To all whom it may concern:

a wall, which of course interferes with the most effective giving off of the tones of the instrument. To overcome this difiiculty, I am aware that it has been proposed to equip the piano with a chamber i'nclosing the entire back of the piano-case, with its front side open, so as to receive the tones from the sounding-board, which ordinarily escape from i the back thereof, this chamber being extended above the top of the piano and open throughout the front of this projected portion for the escape of the tones collected by the chamber. This method is not effective for the purpose designed, for the reason that after escaping through the upper open front of the soundcollecting chamber the sounds immediately rise and disperse in all directions, and while the sound range of the piano may be slightly increased it is not apparent to any material extent.

ed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an upright piano equipped with the sound collecting and directing means of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, parts being broken away to illustrate the mounting of the present attachment.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

To illustrate the application and operation of the present invention, therehas been shown in the accompanying drawings, as designated by the reference character 1, a conventional type of upright piano, a portion of one end of which is broken away to disclose the back frame portion 2 thereof. As hereinbefore indicated, the sounds which pass out through the open back of the piano-case are muffled by the wall against which the piano usually stands, and therefore I propose to employ a sound-collecting chamber 3, attached to the back of the piano-case, so as to entirely inclose said back. the front'of the case being open from the top to the bottom and from end to end of the open back of the piano-case, so as to receive all of the sounds escaping through the back of the piano. This chamber increases in depth upwardly from its bottom and has its upper portion 4 projected a suitable distance above the top of the piano,

with its back arched over to the back of the piano. The front of the top portion of the sound-chamber which projects above the piano is provided with a front wall 5, and this front wallis pierced by a series of horns 6, having their open hell or flared ends extending forwardly across the top of the piano. The rear end portion of each horn pierces the closed front 5 of the sound-chamber and is provided with a downturned elbow 7, having its lower end connected with an upwardlyconverged sound-collecting hell or member 8, which is designed to collect the sounds rising through the chamber and direct the same into the horn 6, from which they are discharged in a forward direction with an effect corresponding to that of the horn commonly employed in connection with graphophones, whereby the sound range of the piano is material] y increased in a direction to the front of the piano.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the .essential feature of the present invention is to first collect the sounds which are emitted through the back of the piano and are ordinarily muflied to such an extent as to be inaudible at a comparatively short distance in front of the piano and then to direct these collected sounds in a forward direction across the top of the piano, thereby to augment the sounds, which also escape forwardly through the front of the piano, whereby the tone volume of the piano is materially improved and increased, and the sound range of the piano is also increased to enable the hearing of the tones of the piano in a clear and distinct manner at the rear end of a-concert-hall or the like.

In connection with the application of the present attachment it will be noted that it is not necessary to make any changes in the piano-case, wherefore the attachment may be applied to any ordinary upright piano now in use, and when applied does not interfere with the playing of the piano, while at the same time it materially improves the quality of the tone and increases the tone range of the piano.

While Fig. 1 of the drawings discloses three horns, it will of course be understood that the number of horns may be increased or diminished, as may be desired. However, experiment has shown that three horns are sufficiently effective for an ordinary upright piano.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A piano attachment of the character described comprising a tone-collecting chamber adapted for application to the back of an upright piano and of a height to project above the top thereof, the top portion of the front of the chamber being closed and the remaining front portion being open to receive the tones from the, back of the piano, and a dischargehorn piercing the closed top portion of the front of the chamber with its bell portion directed forwardly therefrom.

2. A piano attachment of the character described comprising a tone-collecting chamber adapted for application to the back of an upright piano and of a height to project above the top thereof, the top portion of the front of the chamber being closed and the remaining front portion being open to receive the tones from the back of the piano, and a discharge-horn piercing the top portion of the chamber and projected laterally therefrom with the bell of the horn at the outer end thereof.

3. The combination with an upright piano, of a sound-collecting chamber applied to the back of the piano, and a soulid-discharging horn leading from the chamber forwardly across the top of the piano with the bell of the horn at the outer end thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

S"EPHEN D. BEUM.

W'itnesses:

.l.. M. CAMPBELL, CHAS. T. RAUNnLLs. 

